Want To Cut Back On Caffeine? Try Mushroom Coffee!

Mushroom coffee is one of the many interesting food discoveries we came across in the past decade. According to nutritionist Nmami Agarwal, "it is the emerging new trend amongst health-conscious people." Mushroom coffee is made with powdered mushrooms stirred into a regular cup of coffee. According to Nmami, mushroom coffee is great to give a kickstart to your day. Mushroom coffee can be made with matsutake mushrooms. The beverage consists of half the amount of caffeine than standard coffee, which contains as much as 95 mg of caffeine per eight ounces, as stated by United States Department of Agriculture national nutrient database.

Mushroom coffee health benefits that will leave you surprised

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Mushrooms have been used in Chinese medicine for generations, but mushroom coffee has only recently been discovered. Even though the coffee is made with mushrooms, it doesn't have a mushroomy taste. This is because matsutake mushrooms, which are used in powder form, have a subtle muted flavoured, as compared to portobello or white button mushrooms.

Mushroom coffee can be made with dried and powdered matsutake mushrooms
Photo Credit: iStock

"The advantages of mushroom coffee is that functional mushrooms can help buffer the body against every one of coffee's downsides such as high caffeine content induced insomnia, irritability (anxiousness), upset stomach, and racing heartbeat," writes Nmami in her post.

Keep reading to know the health benefits that the drink offers:

1. Boost to energy: Even though caffeine levels of mushroom coffee are lower than standard coffee, it can still help in giving a boost to energy levels, with comparatively fewer side effects.

2. Maitake mushroom coffee good for blood sugar regulation: You can prepare mushroom coffee with maitake mushrooms. This kind of mushrooms contain a kind of adaptogen, which assist the body in fighting against any type of mental of physical difficulties.

3. Weight loss: Mushroom coffee can be a good choice for weight watchers as it contains no fat or cholesterol.

4. Healthy bones: Mushrooms are a rich source of vitamins and minerals like selenium, potassium, copper and calcium. These nutrients can help in maintaining healthy bones and prevent joint pain.

Mushroom coffee can help in strengthening of bones
Photo Credit: iStock

5. Good for digestion: Adaptogenic properties of matsutake mushrooms help in improving digestion. Presence of prebiotics in matsutake mushrooms provide healthy bacteria to the gut.

How to prepare mushroom coffee?

To prepare mushroom coffee, you need to dry mushrooms and ground them into a powder. Mix the powder with coffee and prepare it the usual way.

Mushroom coffee can be a great option for those who are trying to cut back on their caffeine intake. Do consult a nutritionist or a health expert before including it in your diet in case you have food allergies. Pregnant women should avoid mushroom coffee because of lack of research on its benefits. Caffeine is anyway bad for mothers-to-be.

(Nmami Agarwal is a nutritionist at Nmami Life)

Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.